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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. kick — in football
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. degree — temperature
  14. fine — high quality
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. degree — from a university
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. rest — a break
  19. fine — all right
  20. wind — moving air
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. degree — an amount
  24. rest — what's left

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com